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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Alan Weston

Home Bargains staff save man's life as he goes blind and collapses in store

Home Bargains staff saved a man's life after he went blind and collapsed in their store.

Liam Johnston was in the Hanover Street store on the afternoon of Friday, April 22 with his partner when he suddenly began to feel unwell. His vision became blurred before he eventually went temporarily blind and fell to the floor.

Shop staff and customers all rushed to his aid. But it was the actions of the store's first aider, who started chest compressions when Liam's heart stopped, which proved the difference between life and death.

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Liam, 38, from Allerton, said: "I was right in the middle of the aisle shopping when I started going blue. My eyes were going blurry and then I went blind. I dropped to the floor but my partner and some others in the store stopped me from banging my head when I went down.

"The next thing I remember was when I woke up on the floor as a paramedic tried to get me to sit up. I'd actually had a fit and they managed to get me on a stretcher and take me to A&E."

He added: "The first aider at the store gave me CPR and the manager was amazing. They both deserve recognition. I'll be going to the store later this week to drop off a card and a box of chocolates, but I can't thank them enough for saving my life."

Exterior of Home Bargains on Hanover Street, Liverpool. (Liverpool Echo)

Since the drama, Liam has undergone several tests to try and establish why he collapsed. It is thought he suffered an epileptic fit that caused his heart to stop.

He said: "I've always been fit as a fiddle and this scared the living daylights out of me. I can't go anywhere on my own and I can't go to a public place without feeling it's going to happen again.

"It was pretty scary and really put the fear of God into me. It felt like my body shutting down and then re-starting."

A spokesperson for Home Bargains said: "We are proud of our team members in all our stores for their work serving the communities we work in. We are especially proud of our team in Hanover Street - their quick reactions made such a difference for Mr Johnston.

"We hope he is feeling better, and we are so pleased to have been able to help him when he needed it."

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